A miniature can make a Dungeons & Dragons character feel more tangible. The armor, pose, weapon, and expression all help tell its story at the table.
In this MakerBuildIt video, I explore why resin 3D printing appeals to players and dungeon masters who want to make their own miniatures. The main advantages are fine detail, customization, a wide selection of designs, and the potential to lower the cost of building a larger collection.
Fine detail at miniature scale
Resin printers build objects by curing liquid resin layer by layer. For tabletop figures, the appeal is capturing small features such as facial expressions, clothing textures, jewelry, and weapons.
The video focuses on how those details can bring characters and creatures to life. The finished result still depends on the model, printer, resin, and print settings; printing your own figure does not automatically make it better than every premade miniature.
Characters that fit your campaign
Making your own miniatures opens up possibilities for choosing or modifying appearances, poses, and accessories. Instead of finding the closest figure on a store shelf, you can look for a design that fits the character you have imagined.
That flexibility is useful for players with a specific character concept and for dungeon masters preparing unusual encounters. If you have the design skills or suitable customization tools, you can take the idea further and create something more personal.
More creatures, characters, and scenery
The video also highlights online libraries of printable designs. These can offer characters, monsters, and scenery that may be difficult to find in a local shop.
A digital collection lets you prepare for different campaigns without depending entirely on what is available as a finished retail figure. Check the license for any model you download, especially if you plan to sell prints.
Potential savings as your collection grows
Resin printing involves an upfront investment. The video’s cost argument is that, after buying the equipment, producing additional miniatures can be economical for someone who prints regularly.
That is a potential advantage rather than a guaranteed saving. Include the printer, washing and curing setup, resin, cleaning supplies, model files, failed prints, and your time when comparing the total with buying finished figures.
If you only need a few miniatures, purchasing them may be the simpler choice. If you regularly build armies, update characters, or prepare new encounters, printing can become more appealing.
Print for the encounter you need
Having a printer lets you make a chosen model on your own schedule instead of waiting for a particular figure to return to stock. You still need time to prepare the file, print it, remove supports, wash it, and cure it before it is ready for the table.
Plan a suitable resin workspace as well. Follow your resin’s safety instructions, use appropriate protective gloves and eye protection, and provide proper ventilation. ELEGOO’s cleaning guide explains handling uncured resin and the washing process.
Equipment links from the video
The video description includes these Amazon affiliate links:
- ELEGOO Saturn
- ELEGOO Mars 3
- ELEGOO Mini Air Purifier with Activated Carbon Filter
- ELEGOO Mercury wash and cure equipment
- ELEGOO Mars 3 and Mercury washing and curing bundle
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